Research Opportunities for History Majors

Independent Study (HIST 3097)

This course number is designated for students who wish to pursue independent readings or research under faculty supervision. Arrangements must be made with a full-time faculty member willing to direct your study. He or she will need to sign a Registration Transaction Form.

Folger Undergraduate Research Seminar

Through a special arrangement with the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, students have the opportunity to deepen their study of the early modern period (Renaissance and Reformation) through hands-on investigation of books from that era. Interested applicants are encouraged to prepare by taking courses that cover this period, such as HIST 1110, 3103, 3130, 3132-3134, 3140,3150,as well as related Special Topics Courses (3001 or 3101). Sophomores and Juniors apply for admission during the Spring Semester in order to enroll in the following Fall. This course can serve as a reading preparation for HIST 4098W or 4099.

Internships (HIST 3095)

Many GW students take advantage of their time in Washington, DC to do off-campus internships. Students whose internships involve historical research may be eligible to earn three credits for their work. Ideal locations for these projects include GW-affiliated centers such as the First Federal Congress Project, the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, and the National Security Archive. Announcements from these and other research institutes are posted on the wall outside the department office.

Requirements: Once you find an internship, you need to identify a faculty supervisor that is willing to work with you to formulate an individual plan of study and to meet with you regularly throughout the semester. The academic requirements will be determined by the faculty advisor on an individual basis, taking into account the nature of your internship and the scholarly interests of the faculty sponsor. The plan of study which the student is required to submit for approval before registration must be equivalent to a normal credit course in the discipline. For example, for three credits a student might be required to master a certain bibliography and write a 15-20 page paper. For six credits, a more comprehensive bibliography and several types of written work or research projects would be appropriate. A plan of study, signed by the faculty sponsor, must be submitted to the Internship Coordinator (including the name of your faculty sponsor) before you can register for History 3095.

Minimum Hours and Internship Evaluation:

The internship work will be judged on a pass/fail basis. Evaluation of your work by your internship supervisor is required at the end of the semester and will be reviewed by the internship coordinator (currently Professor Long). This evaluation normally will not affect the academic grade given by the faculty sponsor unless the internship has been judged unsatisfactory. During the fall or spring semester, students must work at least 8-10 hours per week for three credits. The work hours are doubled for the five-week summer sessions. History 3095 may be repeated for a total of six hours, but only three hours can will be counted toward the major in the appropriate group.

Registering for HIST 3095: Fill out a Registration Transaction Form and have it signed the faculty member who agrees to supervise your project and provide a copy to the Internship Coordinator (currently Professor Long). Submit the completed form to Colonial Central.

Grades: Students may take HIST 3095 for a letter grade or Pass/No Pass. Your faculty supervisor will determine your final grade based upon the academic work you complete. Make sure the internship supervisor submits a formal letter or email at the end of the semester stating that you have satisfactorily completed the internship.

Two of our seniors, Joseph Albanese and Kathryn White, presented original research at GW Research Days. Joseph researched the the material culture and historical precedents of the peace meeting between England's King Henry VIII and France's King Francis I as depicted in the Renaissance artwork Field of the Cloth of Gold. Kathryn uncovered a George Washington's consumer habits through archaeological evidence found at Mount Vernon. Congrats,Joseph and Kathryn!

History alum (B.A. '11) brings Marx into the mainstream

Bhaskar Sunkara (B.A. '11), Jacobin's founder and editor

"When Bhaskar Sunkara was growing up in Westchester County, he likes to say, he dreamed of being a professional basketball player. But the height gods, among others, didn’t smile in his favor. So in 2009, during a medical leave from his sophomore year at GW, Mr. Sunkara turned to Plan B: creating a magazine dedicated to bringing jargon-free neo-Marxist thinking to the masses." So begins the January 2013 New York Times article on this B.A. '11 alum, who founded and edits Jacobin Magazine.